


Who the Heck Said I Was a Veteran

by Storymancer



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Brief Alcohol Mention, But maybe not, Chara Is Their Own Warning, Fluff, Grillby Got Sass, Grillby being a boss, Humor, I knew it was around here somewhere, Kinda, Major character death - Freeform, Minor Character Death, Misconceptions, Non-Graphic Violence, OH LOOK THE PLOT, Redemption, Sorry Not Sorry, Undertale Genocide Route, but also a pushover, i mean this will probably end well, possibly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2018-07-27 09:20:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7612540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storymancer/pseuds/Storymancer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Sans comes to warn everyone at Grillby's about the small human with a bad case of dustlust, a common misconception about Grillby's past throws him headfirst into the line of fire. What nobody knows is that Grillby never backs down from a challenge.<br/>And this is the biggest challenge of all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stop a Rumor, Save a Life (or, you know, don't)

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is the result of me looking at all the people with the HC that Grillby is a veteran and being like 'What if everyone in-game thought this but it WASN'T TRUE???'
> 
> I hope I can do this justice.
> 
> (I recommend listening to 'Hall of Fame' by The Script while reading this chapter.)

My thoughts were occupied with all the post-closing chores I’d have to complete before I went home that night when the door opened and Sans walked in. I nodded in greeting over the bar before I noticed that his grin seemed tense and his eye sockets were shadowed, his pupils dim. He shuffled over to me.

“we have a problem,” he said, voice low. I frowned and tilted my head. “a human came out of the ruins earlier today. it’s… they… it’s not good, grillby. they’re…” Sans sighed and hung his head. “there’s dust everywhere.” I reeled slightly, nearly dropping the glass. I set it down on the counter and leaned toward Sans.

“I will get everyone out of here. The guards will inform the town. …Is there anything else I should do?” I asked. Sans looked up at me and gave me a weak smile.

“nah. what you’re doing is enough.” I didn’t know why, but something about that statement didn’t sit right with me. Brushing that thought aside, I slid out from behind the bar and approached the dogs.

“…Evacuate the town. There is a human murdering monsters in the forest. They will be here soon.” All of the dogs leaped up at my words and began ushering the other patrons out the door. Satisfied, I headed back behind the counter to grab the biggest bottle of ketchup I could find and hand it to Sans. Before I could do any of that, the inebriated bunny stopped in the doorway and turned to me as though she’d realized something.

“Heya, Grillby, weren’t you in dat war wit da humans?”

“That is correct! Yes, if memory serves, our dear bartender is a veteran—highly decorated, too. The stories say he hung up his sword and shield for good once we were sealed underground, ashamed of the pain he had inflicted upon others,” said the monster with the large mouth. I was about to speak and debunk these outrageous rumors when Doggo, Dogamy, and Dogaressa launched into a flurry of excitement.

(“Oh yes! I remember hearing about that during training. He was so brave!”)

“Did you hear the one where he took on five humans at once and sent them all running with their pants on fire?”

“Or that time when he set one of their main camps ablaze and bought three days for his men to retreat?”

I rubbed at my face. How these ridiculous stories got started, I had no idea. They’d been circulating for about as long as the bar’s been open (longer than I care to think about), and I had never seen a reason to contradict them.

I was beginning to regret that decision.

“whoa, grillbz, you never told me you were a war hero. i bet you could take on this little human, no problem. saw ‘em myself, they’re puny. no way they could handle the _heat_ ,” said Sans, winking at me, though the delivery was strained. I grimaced at him.

(“Wait, wait, that’s a fantastic idea! Grillby, YOU could defeat the human!”) cried Dogaressa, her tail wagging furiously.

…What.

“wait, what? no. it was a joke. grillby isn’t actually a veteran. i have no idea where those stories even came from.”

“Tch, Sans, stop messing around! Everybody knows Grillby was a great warrior before we all got stuck down here. He just doesn’t like to talk about it because of all the terrible things he had to do,” said Doggo, arms crossed.

That… is far more impressive than my real life story.

“Actually—“ I began, hoping to set the record straight.

“So you’ll do it?” asked Dogamy, eyes bright with hope under his hood. I hesitated. Everyone in the restaurant was watching me, silently pleading for me to accept the challenge—except Sans, who seemed horrified by the way things were going. I sighed.

“I hate to have to tell you this, but I am not a veteran,” I said. A few beats of silence stretched out between us before everyone but Sans burst out in laughter.

“Oh, Grillby, you sure got a sense of humor,” said Red Bird. Doggo padded over and laid a paw on my shoulder, guided by the flickering of my flames.

“Listen, I know you hoped your days of hurting people were over, but this human is a mass murderer. Whatever you do, it’s justified,” he said. I closed my eyes for several moments, fighting to keep my composure. Nothing I said was going to convince these monsters of the truth.

That’s the only explanation I can offer for what happened next.

I took a deep breath, looked him in the eyes and said, “Very well.” 

Cheers erupted from all the monsters around me—Sans had disappeared somewhere—and I found myself crowded by my patrons. A torrent of thank-you’s and hoorays and exclamations of my name swirled around me, giving me hardly a moment to catch my breath. After a time, the guards ushered the civilians out the door, still chanting and cheering as they went. I stood stock-still through it all, scarcely able to believe what I’d just agreed to.

Neither could Sans.

“what the hell, grillby?” he asked, appearing a few feet to the right. I remained silent. Sans sighed and shook his head, shuffling over to sit at the bar. I was the only light in the room, my flames casting a warm glow over the floorboards and chairs and tables. Shadows danced where my light didn’t reach, and I found myself fascinated by this interplay of bright and dark as I gathered my thoughts.

“I understand that what I did was… ill-advised,” I said, causing Sans to snort, “but I wasn’t about to waste precious time on a petty argument like that.”

“so what? you just gonna go back on your word and pretend this never happened?”

“Of course not,” I said, my flames snapping. “I intend to follow thorough.” Sans turned to face me as I stepped back behind the bar. I could feel his gaze on me as I reached for a bottle of my favorite scotch.

I’d be needing it for whatever lay ahead.

“you’re going to fight the human,” he said.

“Perhaps,” I said. “If I need to. Before then, I’d like to see if there’s any other way I can deal with the situation.”

“like what?”

I filled a glass, then reached for another while giving Sans a questioning look. He shrugged. I took that for a yes and poured him a drink as well.

“A trap,” I said. “Or…” I sighed. It sounded crazy even in my head. “Or I could try to persuade them to stop.” After a moment, Sans let out a strange choking sound. Concerned, I turned to him, only to find that he was trying desperately to hold in his laughter, a wild gleam in his eye.

“you wanna talk to them,” he said. “you wanna have a conversation with the tiny murder machine. what are you gonna say? that they can do better? that you believe in them? that you, as their friend, will help them be a good person?” I took a few sips of my scotch, thinking. I gave Sans a tired smile.

“If that’s what it takes.”

Sans’ pupils dimmed and he looked down at the counter. We drank in silence after that. His expression gave nothing of his thoughts away, though I found myself curious about his behavior. He wasn’t frightened by the events unfolding around us; if anything, he seemed… resigned. Defeated. I wondered what had happened to make him look that way. I didn’t ask.

“they should be getting close to town by now,” said Sans once he’d drained his glass. “if you’re really serious about this, you should head out soon.” I nodded, knocking back the last of my drink. Pausing, I looked my friend in the eyes, holding his gaze.

“…Stay safe.”

“i should be saying that to you,” said Sans with a chuckle. “but yeah. you too.” I made my way to the door, holding it open for him. Sans brushed past me, offering me a smile that was more like a grimace. “be seein’ you.” With a wave, he was gone, vanished in the swirling snow. After I’d locked up the bar, I turned in the direction of Snowdin forest, steeling myself.

It was going to be a long night.


	2. I'd Work a Nicecream Stand if I Didn't Melt the Merch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Grillby proves you can be a boss while also being a pushover.

It took me less time than I’d anticipated to find the human.

They had cornered an Ice Cap, twirling a knife in one hand as they advanced. The poor monster was shaking, trying to back away, but there was nowhere to run. Rage flared up inside me, my fire turning red, flames flying wild. A few moments passed as I forced myself to calm down, and then I realized the human was speaking.

“…guess all the sentries have gone to get dinner or something. Lucky me, huh?” They giggled. I had to work to suppress a shudder. “I wonder how long you’ll last.” The child (stars, a child) raised their knife. I rushed forward and grabbed their wrist, being careful not to burn them. I had to try to reach them, talk them down, before I resorted to violence. They turned to me with wide eyes, then grinned.

“ _This_ is new,” they said, and I hesitated, confused. They lunged, stabbing the blade of their plastic knife into my shoulder. I released them with a strangled cry. Their laughter echoed in my ears as I dropped to one knee, my hand closing over the handle of the knife. My flames flickered wildly, some turning white with pain. I saw my HP dropping slowly, point by point.

“Oh, Grillby,” they said, still giggling, “you should have stayed at the bar.”

I gritted my teeth and yanked the knife from my shoulder, breathing heavily as my magic knitted itself back together. My HP held steady after that. I wound back my good arm, knife in hand, and chucked it into the trees with as much strength as I could muster. I turned back to the child, who had stopped laughing.

“…Come with me.”

I had no idea what I was doing. This kid had murdered who knows how many monsters, injured me (with the intent to kill), and would apparently take the opportunity to hurt anyone they came across. Yet there I was, ready to lead them back to my bar and feed them and talk to them about what they were doing and why they where doing it.

Monsters are weird.

“Why? So you can kill me and take my soul? I don’t think so.” They smiled up at me. Their eyes were red. “Trust me, others have tried.”

“…No. I want to listen,” I said.

“Oh, right, because I mean _so_ much to you,” they said.

“…If you’re going out of your way to be cruel, there must be a reason,” I said, berating myself with every word I spoke. Why was I still talking? Why wasn’t I trying to incinerate the little dust bunny where they stood? Why wasn’t I acting the way anyone else would in my place?

“No, there doesn’t! Maybe I think it’s fun. Maybe I’m curious. Maybe I’m incredibly bored and this is the only thing that’s keeping me from going insane.” I tilted my head at them.

“Those are all reasons—poor as they may be,” I said. I wanted to smack myself. Though I didn’t have a death wish, it would be difficult to tell with the way I was carrying on. As for the child, they stared at me with an incredulous expression.

“Are you seriously debating this with me? Do you know how easy it would be for me to dust you right now?”

“…I have some idea.” That one hit had taken over half my HP.

“So what the heck are you doing?”

“…Trying to understand.” Dammit, Grillby. Stop engaging the half-pint death monger and leave.

Their face contorted and they whirled around, pulling something out of their pocket. They jumped at the Ice Cap, which had stayed there, frozen, during our conversation. Before I could react, they’d whapped Ice Cap across the face with a glove, and the poor monster let out a pained noise as it turned to dust. Something inside me broke a little at the sight. The child turned back to me, panting slightly.

“So,” they said, grinning, “does that help you _understand_? Give you any insight to my motives? No? **Then go**. I don’t need your pity,” they spat.

I didn’t move. I was torn between continuing to reach out and hightailing it back to the bar. I felt compelled to help this child, to save them, and I didn’t know why. I thought I knew something about them, but couldn’t recall what it was. It was like mistaking a dream for a memory—impressions in place of facts, emotions and feelings unconnected to reality. My non-compliance enraged them further, and they snarled, face flushing with anger.

“It isn’t pity,” I blurted before I could stop myself.

“Then what is it?” they demanded, brandishing the glove. I thought for a moment.

“…Concern.”

“For who? For _me_?”

“Yes. …And everyone else.”

“But… _why_? Why are you worried about me?” Their anger had melted away in their confusion.

“…Because I care.” They stared at me, tears welling up in their eyes. I could see them fighting an internal battle. I kept my breathing even, never breaking their gaze, as I prayed to whoever was listening that I could get through to this kid. Then their face closed off and I knew I’d lost them.

“Liar,” they snarled, and launched themselves at me. I barely had time to dodge them, and I felt the displacement of air as they whisked by. Letting out a yell of frustration, they turned to charge again. There was nothing more I could do for them in that moment; I did what I should have done the second things went sour and ran towards town, cursing myself for being so nice the whole way back.

————————

I slammed the door of the bar shut behind me, locking it with shaking hands. Once it was done, I slumped against it, gasping. The kid was fast—faster than I’d thought—and they’d followed me for a minute before my longer stride carried me away from them. A part of me had wanted to wait for them. The rest of me, the rational part, knew just what a bad idea that was, so I’d kept running.

“so how’d it go?”

I jumped, swinging around to see Sans sitting at the bar, holding the giant bottle of ketchup I’d forgotten to give him earlier. I frowned.

“…Why are you here?” I asked. Sans shrugged, swiveling back and forth on the stool.

“had some time to kill. thought I’d see how you were doing.”

“…Not well.” Sans gestured for me to continue. I sighed, running a hand through the flames at the top of my head. “I have less of a self-preservation instinct than I’d thought.” He frowned at that.

“what happened?” Before I could answer, something banged into the door hard enough to rattle it in its frame. I leapt away from it, hands raised, ready to defend myself. A pause, then another boom. “i think it’s for you,” said Sans, sliding off the stool. I shot him a look.

“…I offered to listen to them.” Boom. “They calmed down temporarily, but when I told them I cared, they came after me.”

Boom. Much more of that and the door would come flying off its hinges. Sans gave me an odd look.

“you told them you _care_? grillby, anyone would get upset about a lie like that.” BOOM. “well, except me. too much work to be upset.”

BOOM.

“…One moment, please,” I called. The bar was silent. I turned to Sans. “It wasn’t a lie. I do care. I’m just not sure why.” Sans was quiet, watching me. Finally, he closed his eye sockets and huffed.

“yeah. guess you do. listen… how much do you remember about everything i talk about when i’m wasted?” My flames burned a little lower; I was confused and caught off guard by the sudden change in topic.

“…Timelines. The days resetting, over and over. Being powerless to save… anyone…” I trailed off. _Oh_. “…Sans, has this happened before?” He looked up at me, a broken smile on his face.

“yes and no. yes, the kid has come through here, killing everyone they could find. no, it’s never turned out quite like this.” Another boom shook the air. Time was up. “look, I’ll explain more later. just… ask them if they want a burger or fries. and, uh, get some food in yourself too, ok? you’re not looking so hot,” he said, winking, and vanished. As the door began to crack under the strain of another crash, I turned and unlocked it. I braced myself for whatever came through the doorway as I opened the bar to the intruder. A small form scampered past me.

“What took you so long? It’s freezing out there,” they grumbled, seating themselves at the bar. I noticed they took the stool next to Sans’.

“…My apologies,” I said, taking my place behind the counter. They grunted in response. “…Would you like a burger or fries?” I asked. Their head snapped up and they stared at me, eyes searching.

“Fries,” they muttered, slumping. I nodded and headed to the kitchen.

The fries seemed to take an eternity to cook, but it gave me a chance to tear into some Cinnamon Bunnies I’d saved from that morning. I was unspeakably relieved to have full HP once more. When the fries were finally done, I plated them with a sigh of relief and headed back out to serve them. What I saw almost made me drop the plate.

Dogamy and Dogaressa were circling the human, who was brandishing the glove at them. I didn’t have to see the dogs’ faces to know they were furious.

“You think we’ll stand for this? Think again! We will avenge our friend,” said Dogamy.

(“That’s right! We may not be old war heroes, but that won’t stop us from finishing what Grillby started,”) cried Dogaressa.The child was unimpressed.

“I mean, you can _try_ ,” they said, “but it won’t end well for you.”

Dogamy let out a howl and lunged, Dogaressa following half a step behind. The child dodged both attacks with surprising grace. They raised their glove with a smile. I called out before matters could escalate any further.

“I’m not dead,” I said. The dogs jumped and faced me. I could practically see sparkles in their eyes before their joy was clouded by confusion.

“But then… why is the human in your bar? You know, not dead?” asked Dogamy. I started forward, setting the fries on the counter.

“…I’m not going to kill them,” I said. The dogs exchanged a glance.

(“You’re not even going to try?“) asked Dogaressa.

“…No.” I paused and looked down at the child. “…Your fries are ready.” They seemed startled to be addressed, but covered their surprise quickly.

“Fries? You’re giving them _food_?” Dogamy looked at me like I’d lost my mind.

“…Yes,” I replied. Never mind that I also thought this was a terrible idea; no matter that I couldn’t believe how forgiving I was. I was going to feed this child and damn the consequences, even if it meant I could never serve my own kind again.

…Who _was_ this kid?

Dogamy and Dogaressa backed away from me, disgust clear on their faces.

(“If you won’t do your job,”) said Dogaressa, (“we’ll have to do it for you.”) Something deep inside me rebelled at the implications.

“…No.” The dogs paused.

“If we do this, will you stop us?” asked Dogamy.

“…Yes.” The dogs looked at each other.

(“Sorry, Grillby. We can’t let you do that,”) said Dogaressa, and they began to advance on me. I had two options: Let them take me and wait for the kid to dust them (unacceptable on _so_ many levels) or fight two of my best customers and good friends in defense of a mass murderer.

So, naturally, I did neither of those things.

Swooping forward, I dodged the dogs’ axes and snatched up the kid, shuddering for a moment at the dust that covered their hands. Before the dogs could do anything, I sprinted to the door, flung it open, and ran along the empty main street of Snowdin.

I noted that perhaps I ought to begin a cardio regime once this mess was over.

The kid clung to me as we approached Waterfall; Sans was leaning against his sentry station. If he was surprised to see us, he didn’t show it. His gaze swept over us, then past me to the town. I slowed as I approached him.

“…Are they still following us?” I huffed.

“might wanna keep running, bud,” he said, and off I went. It was only then that I remembered how very _wet_ it is in Waterfall. Perhaps the kid was having a negative effect on my mental capabilities.

Not like I wouldn’t forgive them, apparently.

I hesitated at the edge of the first large pool of it; there was no way around it, and there was nowhere to hide.

“I understand,” said a quiet voice. It took me a moment to realize it was the kid. I looked down at them with an inquisitive expression. They wouldn’t meet my gaze. “If you want to hand me over. It’s probably for the best, anyway.” That did not make me feel better. I could hear the pounding of paws behind us. Without allowing myself to think about it too much, I backed up as far as I could go. The child looked up at me.

“What are you doing?” they asked. I glanced at them, then started running. As we reached the edge of the water, I took a deep breath, magic at the ready—just in case—and jumped. The momentum carried us almost all the way across. I focused, time slowing down as I gave a push of super heated air down and behind me, propelling me the last few inches to the other side, creating a bit of steam on the way.

(“HALT!”) called Dogaressa. I kept running.

There were two more stretches of water blocking our path, but I wasn’t about to let anything get in my way. I mustered up as much magic as I could, using it to safely jump over both lethal obstacles. Had I not been so focused on staying ahead of the dogs, I would have been proud of myself.

It took longer than I would have liked to find a hiding place suitable for both the kid and myself, but we did find one, and I did my best to keep my breathing silent as we waited for the dogs to rush past us. Once they were gone, I gasped and panted for air, my flames flickering and swirling with residual adrenaline and need for oxygen.

“If you’re fire, why do you need to breathe?” I looked up at the kid, who was studying me with a frown on their face. Their eyes seemed more brown than red. I chalked it up to the lighting.

“…I’m not a normal fire,” I said. They nodded as though this explanation was sufficient. Odd, considering they couldn’t have been more than ten years old. Children, in my experience, had no end of questions. But they let the matter drop at that, and we sat in silence for a while.

“Why did you help me?” they asked, voice small.

“…Because I care.”

“You said that before, and I don’t know what you mean,” they said. I tilted my head. “Do you mean you care about what I might do if you don’t help me? Or do you care about _me_?”

“…I care about you.”

“Why?” Their voice had a harder edge in that question, and I thought there was a brighter flash of red in their eyes.

“…I’m not sure,” I said. I couldn’t lie to this kid. They frowned at me.

“People don’t care without a reason,” they said.

“Monsters do,” I said. “…Most monsters,” I amended, thinking of the fierce captain of the Royal Guard.

“And you’re in the majority?” they asked.

“…I have a reason. I don’t know what it is.” This caused them to pause and lean back, watching me with a thoughtful expression.

“Do I seem familiar to you?” they asked.

“…Yes,” I said. I thought about what Sans had said. It didn’t seem unreasonable to assume that perhaps I’d met this child under better circumstances. And then I remembered.

“…You knew my name,” I said. The child looked up at me, eyebrow raised. “In the forest. Before we’d been introduced. …We’ve met before, haven’t we?” The red was almost completely gone from their eyes. They gave me a small smile.

“Yeah.” Their voice was softer than I’d ever heard it. “We were friends. Not close, exactly, but I came around a lot.” They paused. “How much has Sans told you?”

“…Not much,” I admitted. They hummed and didn’t say anything more. I wondered if they were waiting for something. I decided not to think about it. After a few more moments, I stood and held out a hand to the child. They took it, smiling, and I helped them to their feet. We clambered out of our hiding place and stretched.

Neither of us noticed the footsteps approaching us from behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOO BOI that is a thing I did.  
> Did you love it? Hate it? Something in between? Let me know in the comment section! I would love to hear from you.  
> I have big things planned for this fic, so stay tuned!!


	3. Something Fishy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I AM ALIVE!!!
> 
> I apologize for my horrendously long absence, please have this large dose of plot progression as compensation.
> 
> There is an alarming amount of dialogue in this one, but I PROMISE it's for a good reason.
> 
> Comments and suggestions are wildly appreciated, loved, and cherished!

“OI! GRILLBY! What do you think you’re DOING???”

It appeared the guards had informed Undyne of my… uncooperative attitude. I turned to face her, herding the child behind me.

“…I am preventing any more murders from occurring in the Underground tonight.”

“Are you INSANE?? That… _thing_ dusted almost all the monsters in Snowdin Forest!! Killing them isn’t murder, it’s JUSTICE!!!! I will NOT allow you to obstruct it!! Now GET OUT OF THE WAY.”

“…No.”

“NGGGAAAAAHHHHH!!!” Undyne narrowed her eye at the child behind me. I heard the hum of her magic and pulled them out of the way just before several spears rushed up from the ground. “GRILLBY! STOP INTERFERING! I _will_ fight you!!”

“…Be my guest.” Why the _hell_ did I say that? Undyne froze for a moment as my words sunk in. She looked at me incredulously before her expression shifted to one of grim determination.

“FINE. I’ll give you ONE LAST CHANCE before I engage you in a FIGHT. STAND DOWN, NOW!!!”

“…I cannot.”

With a vicious snarl, Undyne took a step forward, and the world faded until it was only her and me on a black and white battlefield.

It was my turn first. I decided to ACT; I pleaded with Undyne to stop fighting. I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.

“Then let me have the kid.”

The first round of spears wasn’t difficult to block. The next one was a little harder. We continued on like this, back and forth, for quite some time. Eventually, Undyne’s green magic wore off. I fled, grabbing the kid and running for both our lives. Undyne was in her element. I was not. It took her less than a minute to catch up to us again.

My breath burned in my lungs and my legs ached. I set the kid aside as Undyne geared up for a second battle. In that pause, I realized something was off. I turned just in time to realize the kid’s eyes were completely red, almost glowing in the darkness.

Time seemed to slow down as the child took the opportunity to charge at the Captain of the Royal Guard, wielding their glove with wicked glee. They jumped as they cranked their arm back, swinging at Undyne with all their might once she was in range. She had started to bring her hands up in an attempt to defend herself, but the child was too fast. The glove caught her in the face with a resounding smack, and I watched as her HP bar emptied in the space of a moment.

The child landed with a dull thud, grinning up at Undyne, who looked at them in utter shock as she began to disintegrate. As her arms began to disappear, she seemed to remember I was there, turning to look me in the eye with a smile.

“Still think… they’re worth saving…? Take them… to ASGORE… set everyone… free…” She bowed her head. “…Please…”

Numb with horror, I watched as her body finally gave in and broke apart, falling into a small pile on the ground. Several moments passed in total silence. The child looked at me as I stared at Undyne’s remains. I felt disconnected from everything. How was I supposed to react to this? What did one do after witnessing the murder of… well, not quite a friend, but Undyne was a pillar of the Underground. Everyone knew her, relied on her to do her job, and now she was gone.

And I had done nothing.

I was standing _right there_ when the child had run past me. I could feel their intent, their desire to kill a stench that rolled off them like a toxic gas. And I had not even tried to prevent them from following through.

I may not have gained any LOVE, but I was just as responsible for Undyne’s death as the child who struck her down.

“So, pops, you gonna stay with me? Gonna try to get me to change? To ‘live up to my full potential’? Think I still have it in me to be a good person?” The kid was shouting at me for the last question.

The scent of Undyne’s dust, like salt and determination, hung in the air. The world seemed distant—like all this was happening to someone else in a place far away. I knew it wasn’t.

I took several deep breaths and faced toward Hotland.

“…We’ve made it this far. Might as well… might as well keep going,” I said.

“What?”

“…You want to get out, don’t you?”

Silence.

“…Because the alternative is death—or a life on the run. I hear that’s difficult to do in a cave,” I said.

“…Why are you still helping me?” They sounded small, lost, and broken. Even after everything, it hurt to hear it.

“…Vengeance never helped anyone,” I said. “Undyne’s gone. Nothing I can do now. It hurts, and it’s wrong, and in all honesty I should kill you to prevent more deaths, but I can’t. You’re still a kid. …And I’m a coward. I’m just as responsible as you for Undyne’s death.”

I heard them shuffling around behind me, and then they put their hand in mine. They gave it a little tug.

“Let’s go,” they whispered. I knew without looking their eyes were brown again.

The walk to Hotland was uneventful. It seemed everyone had evacuated already. A thought occurred to me as we crossed the bridge to Hotland.

“…How are you planning to leave?” I asked.

The kid was silent for a few moments, thinking it over. “I… don’t know yet,” they said. It was honest, but not really complete.

“…How do timelines work?” I asked. They glanced up at me.

“Are you sure you want to know?” they asked.

“…Yes.”

More silence. The elevators were blocked off, so we started to pass through Alphys’s lab. Mettaton was waiting for us inside.

“HELLO, DARLINGS. I MUST SAY, I’M SURPRISED TO SEE YOU HERE, GRILLBY. HAVE YOU DECIDED TO CHASE A LIFE OF EXCITEMENT ON THE DARK SIDE?”

“…No.”

“AS QUIET AS EVER, I SEE. WELL. I HAVE TO ASK—WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU DOING?”

“…Just looking out for the child.”

“INTERESTING. VERY INTERESTING. BUT NOT INTERESTING ENOUGH FOR A STORY! IF YOU’LL EXCUSE ME.”

Without waiting for a response, Mettaton wheeled out of the room with surprising speed. The child and I watched him go. Once he was out of sight, I turned to the kid.

“…So. Timelines.”

They turned their gaze to the floor, brow furrowed. Their fingers twisted in the hem of their shirt as they thought. Eventually they looked back up at me; I thought I saw a few flecks of red fading from their eyes.

“My SOUL is red—the color of determination. I’m not sure why, but down here… whoever has the most determination has control over the timeline. If I die, I just go back to my last SAVE. If I feel like it… I can jump all the way back to the beginning, when I fell down here. A RESET.

“I’m not sure how many times… I’ve lost count. At first, I was helping people. Being everyone’s friend. Never hurting anyone. It was fun. We’d go up to the Surface and everyone would be happy. They called me a hero, told me I was amazing. I liked hearing those things. So I did it again. And again. And again.

“Then I started getting curious. What would happen if I…? I’d seen everything in the good endings—so I started looking for the bad ones. The first few runs were… really painful. A couple of times I backed out of it completely. But by then I couldn’t stop thinking about the questions I had.

“So I kept trying.

“Then… one of those runs… I killed _everyone_. I searched out monsters until there was no one left. With every kill, it hurt a little less. By the end… I couldn’t feel anything at all. Like my SOUL was gone. When I finally fought—uh. The last one left… I don’t think he really recognized me.

“But afterwards, once I’d won… I met Chara.”

I jolted at the sound of the first human’s name. The child looked up at me sadly.

“Turns out that what I was doing brought them back somehow. During that run, they kept getting more and more control over me. Then they erased everything.

“But I wasn’t done yet. I didn’t want everyone gone, not forever. So I came back. And I waited. They agreed to bring this world back… but only if I gave them my SOUL.”

I stared at the child in disbelief. Everything they were telling me was so impossible, and yet it explained so much.

“I let them take it. I wanted all my friends back. I wanted this place back. I wanted to have more adventures. And I did, for a while.

“And then Chara got bored.

“They went on run after run of just… killing. I kept getting shoved to the back of my own head, watching as they hurt everyone I loved. And this time, the pain didn’t go away. I remembered everything _I_ had done to them, and that was a thousand times worse.

“But I couldn’t even cry.

“We kept struggling back and forth like that for… I don’t know. Dozens of runs. Maybe more. Eventually it got to the point where we were alternating runs because we were just so tired of fighting. I kept doing pacifist runs, and they always… well. I wanted to keep my endings, but they never let me. They forced a RESET every time. …Though they weren’t always the one who pushed the button.

“For the past few runs, I’ve been talking to them. Trying to get them to calm down. I don’t know why they hate everything, but they haven’t been as aggressive recently. Until this run, anyway.

“They told me they were bored, and wanted to try something different. I did my best to talk them out of it, but they took control and RESET. Then they made us wait longer than usual—about half a day—so we would arrive at a different time.”

The child looked me in the eyes and gave me a small, uncertain smile.

“Then you showed up,” they said. “They were surprised, and confused. I think they still are.” The child laughed quietly. “They have no idea what to do with you, now that you’re ‘off script’. I think you’re freaking them out a little. For what it’s worth, though, I think you’re awesome like this. …Wish I could see it under different circumstances.”

It seemed they had nothing more to say after that. I leaned back and stared at the giant monitor, trying to make sense of the absolute flood of information that had been unleashed upon me.

So. They controlled the timeline because of their sheer amount of determination, but had been sharing control with this… spirit Chara… for countless timelines because they’d bargained away their SOUL. They shared their body with this… being… and were trying to win a happy ending for everyone. Apparently.

…This somehow made perfect sense.

“…Anything else?” I asked, voice steadier than I felt.

“Not right now,” they said. Then they blinked, and suddenly their eyes were mostly red. “Yeah, ugh, don’t even get us _started_ on the crybaby. Or the doc. Those two have caused us more trouble than they’re worth.”

“…Alright.”

“You are so _boring_ ,” they whined, then grabbed my sleeve and started pulling me toward the exit. Their strength caught me off guard. “C’mon, let’s keep moving, or Thing 1 and Thing 2 are gonna catch up to us.”

“…Very well. Please don’t kill anyone on the way.”

“Ugh. Like I said. _BORING._ ”

“…Chara.”

“Fine, fine, just hurry up. I’m not getting any younger over here!”

With my mind still whirling and my SOUL full of fear, the door to the lab closed behind us with a quiet noise.

I prayed to whoever was listening that things wouldn’t get any worse.

Somehow I felt it would happen anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. This is here, at long last.  
> Did you love it? Hate it? Demand to see more?  
> Leave all your thoughts in the comments below. See the statement about boundless love, appreciation, and ...   
> uh. Cherishing? I guess? In the summary above.


	4. Kids These Days, Making Impulsive Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frickin' kids, moving faster than I think they should...
> 
> Seriously. Frisk and Chara are a handful, and they decided the plot wasn't moving fast enough for them, so this happened.
> 
> (pls don't hate me)

Hotland hadn’t been evacuated yet. Monsters went about their business, edging away from the child when we came too close. Some nodded to me, even saluted. My confusion turned to consternation when one of them called out, “Woo! That’s right, take ‘em to Asgore! Guess once you’ve seen war, one little human ain’t so bad, am I right?” I stifled a sigh and kept moving.

As we walked, I found it increasingly harder to repress my anxiety.

“…What lies at the end of this road?” I asked quietly as we pressed deeper into Hotland. The child contemplated me for a moment.

“MTT Resort,” they said.

“…Figuratively. What do you plan to do?”

“Get out of this heat, for one thing. Hotland always was my least favorite,” they said.

“…Chara. Frisk. What is your endgame?”

They were silent. I waited a moment for them to gather their thoughts, but no answer was forthcoming. I turned to ask them again, and found that the space next to me was empty. Looking around wildly, I caught sight of them far ahead, jumping onto a vent and using the draft to reach a cliff too high up for my comfort. They disappeared before I could so much as shout their name.

“Little dust-monger,” I muttered, and took off after them.

Even with my longer legs, I was still tired after our earlier dash, and it had been a long time since I’d last traversed this part of the Underground with any sort of speed. It wasn’t long before I had to give up trying to catch them. While I caught my breath, my mind raced as I came up with a plan. I knew where they were going—that much I had in my favor. But they would certainly reach the resort before me, and as they were almost certainly going for Asgore…

“hey, buddy. who took the flame outta your fire?”

I could only wheeze in response.

“yeah, I hear ya. that’s how I feel when I go running, too.”

“…Chara,” I said, gesturing in the direction of the resort.

“what about ‘em?”

“…Find… them…”

“and if i said no?” asked Sans, standing there with his hands in his pockets and that _infernal_ grin on his face. I could feel myself flaring with annoyance. He watched me, and his grin slipped as he sighed. “listen. nothing either of us do is gonna make a difference. trust me.” His eyelights dimmed. “i’ve tried.”

I glared up at the ceiling of that damned cave and gathered my thoughts as rationally as I could while my breathing evened out.

“i take it they explained about the RESETs,” said Sans.

“…Yes.”

“is that all they told you?”

“…I know about Chara.”

“nothing else?”

It took a great deal of effort not to step off the path and hit something.

“…If there is something you wish for me to know, please, just say it.”

Sans remained silent. I focused on keeping my breaths deep and even, counting my steps as I took them.

Some time later, we found ourselves approaching MTT Resort.

“so. uh. really. if there’s anything else they talked about that mighta freaked you out. I could set the record straight,” said Sans. My flames flickered higher. I was startled by a voice coming from the alleyway to the right.

“He wants to know how much I told you about the doc,” said the voice. Sans and I turned to see the child strolling out of the shadows. Their eyes were almost completely red.

“…You only mentioned them in passing.”

“oh. ok. good,” said Sans. After a few more steps, he glanced at me. “you, uh, really aren’t curious? at all?”

“Sans, if you do not stop tiptoeing around the conversation, I will hold you responsible for whatever happens next,” I said, stopping and turning to look at him. Sans stopped and turned as well, fidgeting and glancing around.

“well, uh, yeah, okay, now that I think about it this is a topic for another day. one problem at a time, yeah?”

“Sans.”

“RESETs. trying to stop them. i haven’t been able to—not for lack of effort, which is weird. guess you already know it’s entirely up to the kid. well. kids. and as much as I know about all this, i don’t know why they keep bringing us back here,” he said. He turned to the child. “mind clearing that up for us?”

“They’ve already told me. What I want to know is where they’ve been,” I said, giving the child a pointed look. Chara grinned at me and shrugged.

“You were too slow for me, old man,” they said. “I wanted to see how long it’d take you to catch up.” They blinked and their eyes were brown. “Chara wanted to go all the way to Asgore, but I made them wait,” they said softly. They seemed pleased. I nodded at them.

“…Thank you,” I said.

“ok. great. so you haven’t murdered king fluffybuns yet, which I’m going to count as a win. how about you tell us what you’re planning on doing from here?” asked Sans, his smile seeming tighter than usual as he looked at the child. The child looked back at him, a conflicted expression on their face.

“I know what I want,” they said, “but Chara…” They trailed off.

We stood there in silence for a while. I could hear the water from the MTT fountain splashing on the tiles. I knelt before the child and looked them in the eyes.

“How do we get out?” I asked, voice soft. Their eyes went wide and watery.

“I can’t…” they said, voice cracking. They looked away. “I can’t do it in this timeline. It’s too broken.”

“you’d have ta RESET,” said Sans. It wasn’t a question. The child nodded, biting their lip. A few tears streamed down their face. They looked down at the ground, and when they looked up again, they were smiling, eyes red.

“And I’m NOT going to let that happen,” said Chara. Blink. Brown eyes.

“I want to,” said the child. “I do. I want this to stop. I want to SAVE everyone. I want to live on the Surface with all of my friends. But Chara…” Blink. Red.

“I hate you,” they said, without inflection. “I hate all of you. I want you all to S U F F E R. And then I want to be rid of you all forever.” Blink.

“I won’t let them!” cried the child.

“They’re too weak,” said Chara.

“I can do this,” said the child.

“You will die.”

“I WILL SAVE EVERYONE!!!”

And it all

went

  


  


dark.

  


  


  


  


  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like it? Hate it? Love it? Have something to say that's only tangentially related to the story? Leave it in the comments!
> 
> Comments and kudos sustain the writer, who has been suspended in authorial shame state for far too long.


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